The present invention relates generally to voltage conversion techniques and, more particularly, to a reversible voltage conversion system and an integrated circuit (IC) system having stacked voltage domains, voltage level shifting and voltage stabilization.
Power management has become a critical component for advanced computing architectures, including both high-end microprocessor systems and mobile electronic devices. However, existing on-chip solutions have limited success in simultaneously achieving high output current and high power conversion efficiency.
In particular, nominal power supply voltage (VDD) values for CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) technology have been gradually reduced over the past years due to performance and power scaling. In turn, maintaining efficiency in power delivery systems has become more difficult as VDD is scaled down. At VDD=1 Volt (V), the energy loss from an external power source to the circuits operated at VDD is significant. Since the power loss on the delivery grid is inversely proportional to the square of the voltage (V2), the efficiency issue on power delivery is further exacerbated for so-called “low” VDD circuits (e.g., about 300-500 millivolts (mV)).
Accordingly, it would be desirable to be able to provide improved voltage conversion systems for integrated circuit devices and improved total system power management.